The Pioneer Woodsman as He Is Related to Lumbering in the NorthwestWarren, George Henry
History
The Pioneer Woodsman as He Is Related to Lumbering in the Northwest
Warren, George Henry
Camping; Lumbering -- Northwestern States
Our party must either obtain shelter under this roof or must get into
the canoes and paddle nearly two miles to find a place where it could
pitch its tents. At this juncture the hospitality of the Indians was
demonstrated. The chief sent out word that we should come into his
dwelling and remain for the night. The proffer was gladly accepted. When
we had all assembled, we found within, the chief and his squaw, his
daughter and her husband, the hunter, his squaw and two daughters,
besides our party of nine, making a total of seventeen human beings
within this small enclosure. A small fire occupied a place on the ground
at the center of the structure, an ample opening in the roof having been
left for the escape of the smoke and live sparks. Indians can always
teach their white brothers a lesson of economy in the use of fuel. They
build only a small fire, around which, when inside their wigwams, they
all gather with their usually naked feet to the fire. It is a
physiological fact that when one's extremities are warm, one's bodily
sufferings from cold are at their minimum. Our party boiled some rice
and made a pail of coffee, without causing any especial inconvenience to
our hosts, and, after having satisfied hunger and thirst, the usual camp
fire smoke of pipes was indulged in, before planning for any sleep. Our
party had been assigned a portion of the space around the open fire,
and our blankets were brought in and spread upon the mats that lay upon
the earth floor.
The additional presence of nine Indian dogs has not previously been
mentioned. Before morning, however, they were found to be live factors,
and should be counted as part of the dwellers within the walls of this
single room. They seemed to be nocturnal in habit, and to take an
especial delight in crossing and recrossing our feet, or in trying to
find especially cozy places between our feet and near to the fire, where
they might curl down for their own especial comfort. It was not for us,
however, to complain, inasmuch as the hospitality that had been extended
was sincere; and it was to be remembered by us that it was in no way any
advantage to the Indians to have taken us in for the night. Therefore,
we were truly thankful that our copper colored friends had once more
demonstrated their feelings of humanity toward their white brothers.
They had been subjected to more or less inconvenience by our presence,
but in no way did they make this fact manifest by their actions or by
their words. The rain continued at intervals during the entire night,
and it was with a feeling of real gratitude, as we lay upon the ground,
and listened to it, that we thought of the kindly treatment we were
receiving from these aborigines. In the morning we offered to pay them
money for our accommodations, but this they declined. They did, however,
accept some meat and some flour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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